Lose fat and build muscle in 3 months; the right way.
August 10, 2020
There is a similar habit with people who see changes in body composition:
It usually takes about 3 months of solid effort. This effort includes:
Consistent, structured exercise (3-5X/Week)
Consistent, non-structured exercise (ie. walking, hiking, gardening)
Eating a balanced diet of whole foods, minimal alcohol and enjoying a treat here and there without over doing it
What does this look like after 3 months? Decreases in body fat, and increases in muscle mass.
Notice what I didn't include there?
Weight.
Your body weight will be relative to everything else: What you're wearing, what you ate, drank, if you exercised before or not, the weight of your bones, your blood and organs. Keeping a closer eye on body fat and overall muscle percentage is more important.
Here is the formula for you to see changes
1) Exercise a minimum of 3X/Week.
This should include some sort of strength/resistance training, as well as cardio based elements. All of our classes and training appointments at Degree ensure to include both.
2) Eat nutritious foods, include colour and lots of green. Ensure to hit your protein and drink lots of water!
We know that you know that, but why is it so hard? We need to eat to live, survive and thrive. It's easy to fall into convenience of highly processed foods full of unnecessary sugars and other fillers.
We encourage our members and clients to book a Nutrition Consultation with our Nutrition Coach, Mairead, so she can give you the appropriate information for your body, needs and wants.
3) Get some sleep!
We can't forget rest and recovery. This is when your body repairs muscle tissues, your stress levels drop and you re-boot for the next day.
Not getting enough sleep can lead to not seeing the changes you want, irritability and huge cravings during the day because your body is begging for some energy!
4) Trust the process and stick it out!
Had one bad workout? Ate the whole birthday cake? Don't let that de-rail you.
We all have amazing days where everything is on point, and we all have not so good days where it all seems to be falling apart. Give yourself time, and aim to have a just a few more good days. Then, eventually it will become a habit.
Ready to get started?
We have very limited spaces in our Group Classes, and have a limited amount of Personal Training spaces. Our clients and members know that if you put in the work, and are consistent, you'll get into the best shape of your life - happy and healthy!
Visit www.degreefitnessseaforth.com/get-started
or email info@degreefitnessseaforth.com
to book your free intro meeting to meet one of our Coaches and learn about how we can help you!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian When it comes for nutrition for fitness goals, many of us are concerned about protein. After all, protein helps repair and build muscles, as well as helping us feel fuller longer, and keeping our energy levels stable throughout the day. But protein foods, like meat, can be expensive! For those trying to watch your grocery budgets, or maybe just trying to include more variety in your protein sources, let's check out some less-expensive options! 1. Canned tuna! Fish is a fantastic lean protein source, and none are more convenient than canned tuna. While you can find fancy flavoured cans of individual servings, a 170g can of plain tuna is often only $2.00, meaning it's only $1.00 for a 3oz serving, with rougly 20g of protein! Plain tuna can easily be dressed up with your favourite seasonings, sauces, pickles... the list goes on! Try adding tuna to basic salads, using it as a sandwich filling, or creating rice bowls with your favourite veggies and some spicy tuna! 2. Canned beans! We all know beans pack a fibre punch, but did you know they're also a good source of protein? Canned beans can be quick and convenient - just open, drain, rinse, and go! A can of black beans can be found for only $1.79 and contains roughly three 1/2 cup servings, making each serving only $0.60, and packing in 8g of protein. Try pairing beans with whole grains like quinoa or brown rice, or use it to pump up both the fibre and protein in meat-based dishes. 3. Eggs! Eggs go way beyond breakfast! A carton of 12 eggs is $3.93, making each serving of two eggs roughly $0.66, with 12g of protein. Eggs can be an easy topping for bowl meals and salads, a convenient snack when hardboiled, or served with good old traditional toast for those who like to keep it simple. 4. Tofu! Many people claim not to like tofu, but most just don't know how to use it! Made from soybeans, tofu is a good vegan source of iron, and will take on the flavour of anything it is cooked or marinated in. A 350g package of extra-firm tofu can cost as low of $2.79, making each 85g serving $0.70, with 14g of protein. Try tofu in a flavourful stir-fry, or marinate it ahead of time for a quick protein addition for salads and bowls. 5. Edamame! Edamame are green soy beans, and are easy to find with the frozen vegetables. To use, they just need to be defrosted! A 500g bag of frozen edamame is roughly $5.00, making each 85g serving cost about $0.85, with 9g of protein, and a bonus 4g of fibre! Try adding edamame to your favourite stir fry or salad. While edamame is often used in Asian dishes, it's mild flavour makes it easy to incorporate anywhere. Did the price on any of these surprise you? Will you try a new-to-you protein idea? One of the keys to a balanced diet is variety, and including different sources of protein can help you meet your protein needs without blowing your budget! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com to learn more about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian Have you heard of the "Complexity Bias"? This is the idea that the more complicated something is, the more effective and accurate we perceive it to be. In terms of exercise, this could look like very complicated plans, complex movements, and fancy equipment. When it comes to nutrition, we often see this look like overly complicated food rules and diet plans. All over the internet, you can find lists of foods to eat or avoid, specific times to eat, combinations of foods you need to eat together... the variations of complicated rules can go on and on. Just because something looks fancy on paper, that doesn't mean it's actually going to be effective for your goals, or even that it's technically true! However, we are often drawn to these more complicated diet plans and rules. They can make us feel good, like we've got it "right", and give us a sense of control. If we're eating our prescribed 137.5 grams of protein, we've got to be on the right track, right? Diet plans that are too complicated can actually make it harder to reach our goals. The more complicated something is, the harder it is to keep doing, day after day, especially when things are busy or you're even slightly out of routine. While nutrition is highly complex, the important parts for most people actually boil down to the basics, which are fairly simple and not hyper-specific. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit, and aim for variety with this. Eat some sort of protein at most meals and snacks, and aim for some variety in your protein sources. Include healthy fats in your diet daily. Again, aim for some variety. Eat on a fairly consistent schedule. Come to your meals and snacks hungry enough to eat and enjoy your food, but not so ravenous that you won't even taste your food. Drink enough water. Eat pretty well most of the time, and don't sweat the occasional treat. For most normal healthy people, these habits will improve your diet quality and nutritional intake way more than any complicated rules will. Remember, for nutrition habits to work, you need to able to maintain them. And if you're going to maintain them, they can't be too complicated. Looking for more personalized nutrition help? Let's chat! Our Dietitian is now scheduling for Nutrition Programs again! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more info, or click HERE to book your FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat!
Written By: Mairead, Registered Dietitian February is Heart Health Month! So what better time to focus on habits that can help improve our cardiovascular (or heart) health! Cardiovascular disease includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary artery disease. All of these factors can increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. While some of your risk is genetic, many factors can be improved with lifestyle habits - which are in our control! Check out these ways you can improve your heart health this Heart Health Month! Know your risk level Many people may be walking around with high cholesterol or high blood pressure and not know it. If we don't know something is a problem, we can't fix it! Make sure to complete any tests your doctor recommends in a timely manner, and follow up afterwards. If you do find out there's a problem, it's much easier to start making changes when something is a smaller potential risk factor than after something serious has happened. Not sure where you're at? Ask your doctor if this is something you should monitor! Get enough exercise We don't have a magic pill that fixes everything, but exercise does come close! For heart health, exercise will help decrease your blood pressure and promote healthy cholesterol levels. The recommendation for most healthy Canadian adults is to aim for 150 minutes of "moderate to vigorous" exercise a week - this means your heart rate is up and you are breathing at least a bit harder than at rest. If you feel you fall short of that goal, try slowly increasing by 5-10 minutes a week as your body allows. Any type of exercise that gets your heart rate up counts! Watch your salt intake While we know we do need some salt or sodium in our diet, many of us eat too much salt. Much of this comes from processed foods or take out - it's not just about whether you add salt during cooking and at the table. For those who are at risk for high blood pressure, a high sodium intake can increase that risk, and decreasing your salt intake can help promote more normal blood pressure. Staying between 1800mg and 2300mg of sodium daily will make sure your body is getting what it needs without overdoing it. Try checking your labels to see if you're taking in more salt than you realize. Use the "percent daily value" on the right-hand side of the nutrition facts table - remember, 5% is a little bit, 15% is a lot! Increase your fibre intake Fibre does many great things for our body - including helping to improve your cholesterol levels, or maintain them in a healthy range. The total recommended amount of fibre daily is 20-25g for women and 30-38g for men - that's a lot!! Sources of fibre include vegetables, fruit, whole grains and whole grain products, nuts and seeds, and legumes. If you're choosing foods with a nutrition label, use the "percent daily value" to choose higher-fibre options. Remember to make changes in your fibre slowly and make sure you're properly hydrated to avoid any bowel upset. Remember, health isn't all or nothing! If you're ready to improve your heart health, pick one habit to focus on and figure out how you can implement in your daily life consistently! Looking for more personalized nutrition advice? Let's chat! Email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com for more information about our Nutrition Programs, or click HERE !